Ben Roethlisberger - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Ben Roethlisberger

July 28th, 2014 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

Steelers president Art Rooney II indicated last week that his team intends to postpone contract talks with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger until after the 2014 season rather than addressing the situation while Big Ben still has two years left on his deal. After initially suggesting he’d be happy to “concentrate on football,” Roethlisberger spoke to Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review at greater length this weekend about his current and future contracts with the team.

“Playing this year at my current salary, it’s kind of taking a hometown discount,” Roethlisberger said. “I’ve played seven years on my current contract, which is the most of any (NFL) player or any quarterback. … It is kind of taking a discount compared to maybe where it could be compared to other quarterbacks.”

Although Roethlisberger didn’t express any discontent with what he perceives to be a “hometown discount,” he noted that he’ll have to “do what’s best for [his] family” when it comes to signing a new contract, which could indicate he’ll pursue an annual salary more in line with the league’s highest-paid signal-callers. The longtime Steeler has the league’s second-highest cap number for a quarterback in 2014, but the ’14 cash value of his deal ranks outside the top 10 QBs.

Addressing Roethlisberger’s upcoming extension negotiations, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com wrote that the 32-year-old will inevitably make more than $20MM per year on his next deal, which the Steelers will have to realize is unavoidable. In La Canfora’s view, there’s no way that Roethlisberger won’t finish his career in Pittsburgh, and GM Kevin Colbert echoed that sentiment today while speaking to reporters, including Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link).

Allen, Roethlisberger On Extensions

July 26th, 2014 at 3:41pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Steelers have transitioned from one of the top young teams in the NFL into an older roster at the salary cap over recent years. They have to maximize every dollar they spend going forward, and two of their major extension candidates will not be immune to this behavior.

Cornerback Cortez Allen is approaching the final year of his rookie deal, and the team is determined to get him signed to an extension before the beginning of the season, writes Mark Kaboly of the Steel Mill. They recently made the mistake of not extending Keenan Lewis prior to his final contract year, and eventually lost him to a giant contract with the Saints.

“That’s not my concern right now. Football is my concern,” Allen said. “I am just trying to help the team win games. That stuff will take care of itself. I don’t focus on it too much.”

The team is $6.5MM under the cap as of right now, and could still fit Allen in that room with an extension.

While the team wants to extend Allen as soon as possible, they have taken a more patient approach with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The face of the franchise has two years left on his contract, but the team has traditionally extended him at that point during past negotiations.

Roethlisberger has struggled with injuries throughout his career, and at 32, is beginning to hit the downside of his career. Especially with the recent up and down play of his fellow quarterbacks of the 2004 NFL Draft, the team may not be as excited to commit themselves to a quarterback for the next five years. Eli Manning had a disastrous 2013 season, and Philip Rivers bounced back in 2014 after a sharp decline in the two years before that.

“As I put my faith and trust in them, when the time is right, we’ll get it done,” said Roethlisberger. “Now I can just concentrate on football.”

Still, Roethlisberger will have a chance to earn one final contract with serious star quarterback money. He needs to stay healthy and return the Steelers to the playoffs. Rivers bounced back to have one of his best seasons, and put him back at the forefront of NFL quarterbacks, as one of the best veteran passers in the game. Roethlisberger is a few years removed from his last Super Bowl appearance, but has been a top quarterback in the league for a long time, and save for a catastrophic year, will be in line for his extension next offseason.

Steelers To Address Roethlisberger’s Contract After Season

July 25th, 2014 at 9:23am CST by Luke Adams

Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey received a long-term contract extension earlier this offseason, but the man Pouncey snaps the ball to won’t be signing a new deal of his own anytime soon. According to Steelers president Art Rooney II, the club doesn’t intend to enter serious extension negotiations with Ben Roethlisberger until after the 2014 season (link via Bob Labriola of Steelers.com).

“I met with Ben shortly before we did the Maurkice Pouncey signing (in the middle of June) just to make sure Ben understood where we were with our intentions as far as a contract extension for him,” Rooney said. “I just didn’t want him to feel like we were moving ahead with other players without any communication.

“And so I talked to Ben, and then we talked with his agent Ryan Tollner about where we are and the fact we intend on addressing Ben’s contract situation after the season, so that we could address a number of players who were going into their last year in 2014. I think Ben understands that’s our intention and the way we’d like to proceed. I think we had a good conversation.”

Unlike several other players on Pittsburgh’s roster, Roethlisberger still has two years left on his contract, which has cap hits of $18.895MM in 2014 and $18.835MM in 2015. The Steelers have enough breathing room under the cap this season that reworking Big Ben’s deal to reduce that cap number isn’t necessary, so it makes sense that the club would wait until the 2015 offseason to get something done.

Roethlisberger will turn 33 in March, so it’ll be interesting to see what his next contract looks like, considering he doesn’t currently rank among the league’s top 10 highest-paid signal-callers. Rooney appears optimistic that a rising salary cap will give the team the flexibility to pay its franchise quarterback fair market value.

“We believe the cap will go up again next year,” Rooney said. “And so from a cap planning standpoint, next year will be a better situation for us to address a franchise quarterback type of contract.”

Monday Roundup: Finley, Young, Big Ben

July 14th, 2014 at 10:58pm CST by Rory Parks

Free agent tight end Jermichael Finley, who has been medically cleared to play by his own doctor, said he will undergo another series of medical tests on Wednesday and will send the results of those tests to all 32 clubs in an effort to convince them that he is fully healthy, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Finley has stated that he would like to return to the Packers, and that he certainly wants to continue playing rather than collect the $10MM insurance policy he would receive if he retired from the game.

However, he has also demonstrated that he will be patient as he waits for the right deal. The Steelers‘ team neurosurgeon, Dr. Joseph Maroon, performed Finley’s vertebrae fusion in November and declared him fit to play a few months later. Pittsburgh subsequently made several contract offers, according to Finley, but none of those offers were financially appealing enough for him. Pelissero believes that Finley ultimately will re-sign with Green Bay (Twitter link).

Now for some links from around the league to wind up this Monday evening:

In an increasingly sad and troubling narrative, former Lions receiver Titus Young was arrested in Los Angeles on July 9 for battery with serious bodily injury–a felony–and associated charges, writes David Leon Moore of The Detroit Free Press. The arrest took place one day before Young was to appear for a pre-trial conference in Newport Beach, California, where he faces 11 charges, four of which are felonies.
Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News writes that, on the heels of his strong finish to the 2013 campaign, Cowboys linebacker Kyle Wilber should find himself in a starting role and could be on the verge of a breakout season.
In a video clip, Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News looks at a few under-the-radar players on the Cowboys roster to keep an eye on, including undrafted finds Ben Malena and L’Damian Washington.
Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times writes that the Seahawks‘ backup quarterback competition is wide open, and Terrelle Pryor and Tarvaris Jackson will each get an extended opportunity to prove themselves in the preseason. However, both players could end up making the club, as Seattle carried three quarterbacks on its roster for a few weeks last season.
Time is running out for the Steelers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to reach an agreement on a contract extension, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Roethlisberger has two years left on his current deal, but Florio believes he is underpaid by current standards. However, no progress has been reported on a possible extension–though that does not mean that progress has not been made–and the Steelers do not negotiate new contracts once the regular season begins.
Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson has limited leverage in trying to force a trade, as Adam Schefter, Louis Riddick, and Mark Brunell of ESPN explain (video link).
Iowa offensive tackle Brandon Scherff could be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft, tweets Gil Brandt of NFL.com. Scherff, a 280-pound quarterback in high school, has blossomed into a strong 6’4″, 320-pound force with Ndamukong Suh-type strength.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC North Notes: Shazier, Smith, Hunt, Wilder

June 21st, 2014 at 9:02am CST by Matt Feminis

Steelers first-rounder Ryan Shazier looks like the “real deal,” according to Mike Prisuta of Steelers.com: “The Steelers knew Shazier was fast when they drafted him No. 1 from The Ohio State University. But since arriving on the South Side of Pittsburgh Shazier has gotten Maurkice Pouncey‘s attention with physicality in practice, stunned Bruce Gradkowski with leaping ability on the way to an interception and impressed Ben Roethlisberger as a potential defensive signal-caller someday. Shazier also has been running with the first-team defense since snap one of OTAs. He’ll still have to do it in pads this summer, but he created a consistent buzz this spring.”

Here’s a few more AFC North notes:

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh says veteran inside linebacker Daryl Smith, who re-signed for four years and $16MM, played at a high level last season, writes Garrett Downing on BaltimoreRavens.com. That means first-rounder C.J. Mosley and 2013 second-rounder Arthur Brown will compete for playing time next to Smith.
The Bengals have high expectations for 27-year-old, second-year Estonian defensive end Margus Hunt, writes Geoff Hobson on Bengals.com. A 2013 second-round project, Hunt is a “freakish,” 6-8, 291-pounder who might be ready to contribute at left end.
Bengals running back James Wilder Jr., an undrafted free agent out of Florida State, claims he broke a team conditioning record, but he’s on the outside looking in for now, says ESPN’s Coley Harvey.
Browns All-Pro Joe Haden is the latest to (delicately) express concern over Johnny Manziel’s partying ways (radio interview with 850 AM here), but says nothing Manziel is doing away from the team facility is negatively affecting his work. Haden merely suggests, “Just try to have fun without the whole world knowing.”

AFC Notes: Carr, Sheard, Canty, Williams

June 14th, 2014 at 10:52am CST by Matt Feminis

Since being drafted last month, Raiders second-round quarterback Derek Carr has drawn continued praise. Now, offensive coordinator Greg Olson says the rookie might not need to “redshirt.” Olson spoke to Vic Tafur at sfgate.com, saying, “We are accelerating the learning curve of Derek Carr.”

Here’s some more AFC news and notes:

Earlier this week, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal tweeted that the Browns and 2015 free agent Jabaal Sheard have had preliminary talks on a long-term contract extension, then elaborated in article form. Entering the final year of his four-year, $5.1MM rookie deal, the 2011 second-rounder is poised for an impact (Read: productive) season and lucrative payday thanks to his projected role as the team’s primary pass rusher in Mike Pettine’s hybrid, attacking scheme.
Prompted by a fan question as part of a mailbag chat, ESPN’s Jamison Hensley addresses the possibility of Ravens veteran defensive lineman Chris Canty being cut at the end of training camp. “There’s no guarantee that defensive end Chris Canty makes this team,” says Hensley. “He was a disappointment last year, and the Ravens can create cap room by cutting him ($2 million this year and $2.6 million in 2015). The Ravens, though, need to make sure someone is ready to step up in his spot. Kapron Lewis-Moore and rookie Brent Urban are the ones who play Canty’s position, so they have to convince the Ravens in the preseason that they’re ready.”
Bills receiver Mike Williams, acquired from Tampa Bay for a sixth-round pick, does not have a “particular skill that he brings to the table that is different from the rest of the receiver group” and is not a lock to make the roster in the eyes of ESPN’s Mike Rodak.
Despite struggling last season, Derek Newton is the Texans’ starting right tackle, per Brian Smith of the Houston Chronicle.
The odds of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger starting all 16 games for the second consecutive season “aren’t good,” says Triblive.com’s Mark Kaboly, who examines the competition for the backup job between veteran Bruce Gradkowski and second-year pro Landry Jones.
Previewing the Dolphins upcoming minicamp, the Sun-Sentinel’s Omar Kelly hits on several roster notes, including competition for slot receiver reps, Koa Misi transitioning to inside linebacker and Dion Jordan‘s increased bulk and strength.

AFC North Notes: Steelers, Miller, Hoyer

May 31st, 2014 at 4:25pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Steelers are returning all of their offensive lineman, including Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey who was lost last season to a torn ACL. No one is more excited than Ben Roethlisberger, who believes that continuity on the offensive line could be the key to success, particularly in the no huddle offense, writes Kim Myers of NicePickCowher.com. “That’s a big part of being able to run the no-huddle because those guys are up there and they’re comfortable, they’re familiar. They’ve got another offseason in training of continuity and learning from each other,” said Roethlisberger. “I tell them before each game that they are what is going to drive this team and this offense. As long as they stay healthy and can play every game we’ll be good.” Here are some other notes from around the AFC North:

Steelers‘ tight end Heath Miller bounced back well from a torn ACL in 2013, catching 58 passes for 593 yards and a touchdown, writes Matt Shetler of CityOfChampionsSports.com. However, he had posted career highs in yards and touchdowns the previous season, and is looking to re-establish himself as one of the league’s top tight ends. “Last year was about trying to find a new normal for myself and I’m a creature of habit, so that wasn’t easy for me,” said Miller. “I’m fully confident by the time the season rolls around I’m going to be feeling much better than the start of last year just from a confidence perspective.”
The Bengals have a deep bench at the running back position, and it is unclear how many the team will keep on the 53-man roster, writes Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. Harvey says that both BenJarvus Green-Ellis and undrafted free agent Jeff Scott are on the bubble, with Giovani Bernard and second-round pick Jeremy Hill looking to take a bulk of the carries. However, Green-Ellis’ veteran presence and Scott’s versatility could keep them on the roster this season.
The Browns still plan to let first-round pick Johnny Manziel start as a backup, and if veteran Brian Hoyer plays well the team could extend him, writes Pat McManamon of ESPN.com. With Manziel on his rookie contract for four years (with a fifth-year option), the team could afford to keep both players.

AFC North Rumors: Big Ben, Ravens, Browns

May 7th, 2014 at 8:43am CST by Luke Adams

Although Ben Roethlisberger heads into the 2014 season with two years left on his contract, he expects his career to extend well beyond his current deal, as he told 93.7 The Fan on Tuesday (link via ESPN.com’s Scott Brown).

“I feel like I’m in great shape,” Roethlisberger said. “I think I can get five, six, seven more years out of this arm and these legs.”

Roethlisberger turned 32 in March, so another seven seasons would have him pushing 40, but the Steelers at least appear interested in locking him up beyond the 2015 campaign. We heard last month that extension talks between the two sides have been ongoing for a while, and that discussions could pick up later this summer when Pittsburgh picks up some post-June 1 cap space.

Here’s more from around the AFC North:

The Ravens, who may be targeting a quarterback at some point in this week’s draft, have done their due diligence on LSU signal-caller Zach Mettenberger, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. That means the team is likely aware of a back condition called Spondylolsis, which several teams have medically flagged Mettenberger for, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. While LSU trainer Jack Marucci said it was a non-issue for the QB during his senior season, it would represent a long-term concern for Mettenberger’s NFL suitors.
Virginia offensive tackle Morgan Moses had 13 private workouts or official visits leading up to the draft, including a visit to Baltimore to meet with the Ravens, writes Wilson at the Sun. According to Wilson, the Saints were among the other teams to host Moses for a pre-draft visit.
The best approach for the Browns with their No. 4 pick on Thursday may be to trade down, says Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com, making the case for why a move back would make sense for the club.

AFC North Rumors: Big Ben, Manziel, Bengals

April 23rd, 2014 at 11:30am CST by Zachary Links

It’s all still status quo when it comes to the Steelers and a possible contract extension for Ben Roethlisberger, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.com. “There’s been ongoing (contract) discussions for quite awhile,” agent Ryan Tollner said. “I think from the time we did the first extension there was sort of a plan moving forward. There’s a plan in place, but both sides are pretty committed to doing that privately and not having it be something that’s discussed in the media.” Pittsburgh can lower Roethlisberger’s cap hit of ~$18.9MM in 2014, but they can also wait to get a new deal done since they have already done the bulk of their free-agent shopping and will get more than $8MM in cap relief after June 1st.

Johnny Manziel is having his visit with the Browns today, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter). The Browns pick at No. 4 and again at No. 26 in next month’s draft.
Can the Bengals still be considered a deep team after a quiet offseason that saw them lose defensive end Michael Johnson, offensive tackle Anthony Collins, and receiver Andrew Hawkins? Coley Harvey of ESPN.com says yes. While the talent may have taken a slight hit, particularly on the offensive line, they still have depth just about everywhere else.
More from Harvey, who looks at the Bengals‘ need at outside linebacker heading into the draft. Harvey graded the likelihood of Cincinnati drafting an OLB as “medium” even after they picked up Dontay Moch off waivers from Arizona and signed free agent Sam Montgomery. Moch and Montgomery previously played defensive end, but the Bengals have listed both as linebackers.

Extra Points: Roberts, Fitzpatrick, Steelers

February 19th, 2014 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Andre Roberts doesn’t sound bullish about the possibility of returning to the Cardinals for 2014, suggesting during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio that there may not be “enough balls to go around out here” (link via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com). Roberts will be looking for a four- or five-year contract this offseason, but will be willing to sign a one-year, make-good deal, according to Weinfuss. The receiver also sounds like he’s looking forward to testing the open market.

“I’m pretty excited about the whole free-agency process,” Roberts said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what’s coming for the rest of my career.”

Here’s more from across the NFL:

Titans backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick could be cut this offseason if the team wants to create a little cap flexibility, but he tells John Glennon of the Tennessean that he’s not worried about that possibility.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes there’s at least an outside chance that a grievance over Jimmy Graham’s franchise-tag position could result in the Saints star becoming an unrestricted free agent, as he explained in a piece this morning. Taking that possibility into account, Florio thinks the Saints ought to tag Graham and push for resolution sooner rather than later.
With a grievance over Graham’s position likely looming, Pat Kirwan of CBSSports.com takes a look at how the NFL could make franchise-tag positional designations more logical. In Kirwan’s view, the league and the NFLPA should agree on several adjustments to the system, including adding new designations for fullbacks and kick returners, and dividing offensve linemen and wide receivers into multiple groups.
Appearing on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert echoed comments made by team president Art Rooney II last month, suggesting that the franchise wants to re-sign Ben Roethlisberger and ensure that he remains a Steeler for the rest of his career. ESPN.com’s Scott Brown has the quotes and the details.
In an interesting piece for the National Football Post, Jack Bechta explains how agents help their clients prepare for the draft combine.